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Congo - Heritage in Danger - Protecting the wonders of the Democratic Republic
of Congo

10-26 September 2004

Is it possible to protect heritage in time of war? This was the challenge facing UNESCO in
the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) in 2000 and which led to the launch of the "Biodiversity
Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict: Conserving World Heritage Sites in the DRC" programme,
developed with the United Nations Foundation, the Government of the DRC, conservation organizations
working in DRC and the support of the Government of Belgium. It is vital to preserve this
exceptionally rich ecosystem, part of a tropical forest that is second only to the Amazonian
forest. With the first phase of the project drawing to a close at the end of this year, now
is the time to evaluate the major axes of the second phase. This is the goal set by UNESCO
and the United Nations Foundation (UNF) in organizing, thanks to the financial assistance
of UNF, Japan and Belgium, the first major international event in support of Congo's
World Heritage in Danger .

From September 10-26, the general public will be offered the opportunity to appreciate the
treasures of these World Heritage sites and to learn about the threats they face. Under the
high patronage of Mr Jacques Chirac , President of France, and Mr
Joseph Kabila , President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, three main events
will set the pace for this occasion :

Curated by the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren ,
Belgium, the World's leading museum and research institute on the Congo's heritage, the multi-themed
exhibition demonstrates the links uniting culture and nature in the DRC through natural resources,
languages, symbolic rituals and daily life. Spectacular mounted animals including an okapi
and a mountain gorilla and a vast array of ethnographic objects will be displayed in Paris
for the first time.

Under the high patronage of His Majesty Albert II , King of Belgians.

The exhibition will open in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium) from
23 November 2004 to 2 October 2005.

Because the Congo is a source of inspiration for all African music, UNESCO will welcome
the major artists of the country for a one-off Congolese Rumba Concert. Groups such as Elima
de Maître Nono (traditional music), Kékélé (music
from the 60's to the 80's), as well as Makutano (soukous, music of the past
20 years), will accompany artists playing an array of tunes from the Congolese musical repertoire: Passi,
Papa Wemba, Ray Lema, Djouna, Akademia, Bonga, Yondo Sister, Odito, Isa Fleur du Congo, Sam
Mangwana, Faya Tess, Abby Surya, So Kalmery, Diblo Dibala and Gina Wagina .

Patrons : Mr Hervé Bourges and Mr Claude Makélélé .

All the proceeds from the concert will finance conservation projects in the five DRC sites
on the List of World Heritage in Danger.